[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6503323,"mediaKeyId","5575111-c2d63c8d113db1280908d399401c03e0","parentId",5575111,"title","New EMS provider reports 90‑day operations in Chester, seeks municipal support to sustain advanced services","audioSeconds",1745,"startMs",1230000,"endMs",2975000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5575111-c2d63c8d113db1280908d399401c03e0&start=1230&end=2975","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5575111-c2d63c8d113db1280908d399401c03e0/thumbnail_1230000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6503323/Chester/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/New-EMS-provider-reports-90day-operations-in-Chester-seeks-municipal-support-to-sustain-advanced-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503323-a167d2282bdf609050d41d54f46b8154/orig.mp4?Expires=1770570051&Signature=AiAJpDDM801X7kDc3rCCjTC1hj8LwWOXiShhdhhYF4z4IVK2yLnYXTFUVEjCCFUjqhXMOLgLmyIyVV4nllsqpUk8bGeSDfVcU4iXdIzFpGJTvjYd-GCTU-awX8XjvwczySo3uwl9obNIj9TMc7RXKXGXIOCJm-HV8g2Y1aETdLAJWkd8bX5Z43E82W-Mg7jjmj0jBb1uhU3jVcRfkbpSd5CvNB9oFflWi2i1-7jXWbnNJKPghN-vVcszvDFVIlTn4iDaC5BC8oEB7rPftAozpxTpEIRMpU3tXWrmfQ~xZa-~bon7RVFlc25T5wscGct3FXYL0GvaMi-57Q73rUU4nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Chester, PA","date","2025-08-13T19:12:37Z","article","VMSC Emergency Medical Services gave a 90‑day operational report to Chester City Council, highlighting service improvements since Crozer Hospital’s emergency‑department closure and requesting municipal dialogue on long‑term funding to sustain advanced life‑saving capabilities.

In a detailed presentation, Shane Wheeler, chief executive officer of VMSC Emergency Medical Services, said the company stood up local EMS operations rapidly after Crozer’s closure and hired roughly 47 former Crozer EMS staff. \"We ran 2,187 calls over the 90‑day period,\" Wheeler told council, and said about 66% of those patients were transported to hospitals, nearly 11% refused services and roughly 23% of responses resulted in no patient being found. He reported an average response time in Chester of 5 minutes, 37 seconds, down from over eight minutes in 2024.

Wheeler presented clinical outcomes and innovations: Chester’s out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest survival rates exceed other VMSC service areas and Commonwealth averages, and 45% of cardiac arrest patients VMSC responds to arrive at the emergency room alive. He said the provider recently implemented a whole‑blood transfusion capability in the field and has administered whole blood in four prehospital cases since the program began.

But Wheeler said fiscal pressures threaten sustainability. He told the council that approximately 16% of patient encounters in Chester have been uninsured, generating about $420,000 in uncollectible revenue over 90 days. Wheeler estimated the city’s contribution gap to sustain the advanced service at roughly $400,000–$500,000 annually and asked for a meeting with the mayor and council to discuss municipal support, grant opportunities and partnership options. \"I think the gap is… somewhere in the neighborhood of, you know, 400 to $500,000 of contribution from the city to maintain the service,\" he said.

Wheeler described other operational challenges that affect unit availability and costs: frequent false medical‑alert activations from poorly maintained building systems, a high refusal rate for hospital transport in Chester (roughly 33%), and reduced call volumes compared with earlier projections (VMSC had anticipated ~7,500 transports but projects just over 5,000). He said the uninsured share may rise if federal Medicaid eligibility rules tighten and warned that the change would disproportionately affect urban communities.

To reduce uncompensated costs, VMSC runs a membership (subscription) program that prevents balance billing. Wheeler said the program has enrolled 51 people to date out of the roughly 35,000 residents in Chester. He stated the annual subscription price as $125 per year (examples cited during discussion) and said the program protects members from surprise ambulance balance bills.

Wheeler outlined operational and community investments the provider seeks: expanding community paramedicine and telehealth, offering EMT and advanced EMT training locally, continuing blood‑administration and trauma capabilities, and partnering on transportation solutions (including a proposed shuttle funded by grants to move family members between hospitals and homes). \"We wanna expand community access and care… Telehealth… connecting people with PCPs,\" he said. He also said VMSC will pursue grant programs and invited the city to discuss municipal support and regional partnerships.

Council members thanked VMSC for fast response times and asked follow‑up questions about uninsured projections and long‑term finances. Councilman (name recorded in transcript as) Green asked whether the provider has modeled long‑term financial scenarios; Wheeler said more data is needed but reiterated the projected municipal contribution range and promised a transparent fiscal report after additional data collection.

What council agreed: Wheeler requested a meeting with the mayor and council to explore sustainability options; the council signaled willingness to meet and asked staff to facilitate follow‑up. No formal municipal funding commitment was made at the meeting.

Why it matters: With the local hospital’s emergency department closed, prehospital EMS capabilities are a front‑line health resource. VMSC’s clinical innovations — shorter response times, higher cardiac‑arrest survival and field blood transfusions — are significant for patient outcomes but carry higher operational costs. The provider’s request for municipal support and its financial projections will likely be the subject of near‑term budget discussions.

Attribution: All direct quotes to Shane Wheeler are taken from his presentation to council and public Q&A recorded during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chester City Council Meeting | August 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","VMSC Emergency Medical Services reported improved response times and higher cardiac‑arrest survival in Chester but told council the service faces significant uncompensated care and requested municipal dialogue about $400,000–$500,000 in annual support.","taxTitle","Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania","taxId",64857,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6503328,"Chester council approves multiple development, trail and grant actions; HUD lead-remediation application authorized",181,955000,1136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5575111-c2d63c8d113db1280908d399401c03e0&start=955&end=1136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5575111-c2d63c8d113db1280908d399401c03e0/thumbnail_955000.jpg","/articles/6503328/Chester/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Chester-council-approves-multiple-development-trail-and-grant-actions-HUD-lead-remediation-application-authorized","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503328-46479c47fdeeade5d1a856b614100e69/orig.mp4?Expires=1770570051&Signature=hfFNyNmgAyuUaTGsDGY5357mDCO9TlVwDA4Wh5V~wu5kMEOSBxGM6OfSN8j3wIpZn78Eq2mu0OZFOPT8jtMweGrErNXSFLxY0czAjqGQgYWDhkYyrAmzAQh2SzMAAy7GL81a~Ho6IK8ukLqmfjGPJ9JoabC41SRwlGPaGU~1I--wWILvkQo6eMfeG4LuRsQuPDVp~IMajke-uRFimNTpvWThOJGPn~DMnmtgIZ~bvkwD-3Yf9tIVdZyuuf84zPQtK9pTS~ueVfPtG4PZw69xGiavELYjxhfLyfPpmCHa7buDo5PKyuZau-DMvksAHWQJKzAT8UA0x36MMhagYe-L3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chester City Council on an August meeting approved a bundle of resolutions clearing several development plans, grant agreements and a contract amendment and authorized a HUD grant application to address lead hazards.

The council voted unanimously to grant preliminary and/or final land‑development approval to SilverCare Senior Housing for a senior assisted living facility at 2500 West Ninth Street; to Liberty Housing Development Corporation for a mixed‑use project at 1100–1130 Morton Avenue; and to 742 West Front Street LLC for a mixed‑use development at 742 West Front Street. Councilors also approved an amendment to an ARPA‑funded façade improvement contract with LSNCMNE, LLC that withdraws work on 531–533 Avenue of the States and reduces the contract by $95,060.80 to a new total of $142,885.39.

In separate actions, the council accepted $1,300,000 in Transportation Alternatives set‑aside funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the Norris Street Trail and Streetscape Project and authorized the city to enter a reimbursement grant agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The council also authorized an agreement with Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) to permit construction of a multi‑use trail that crosses a Conrail freight line between Second Street and the Chester Riverfront Trail, and it designated City Chief of Staff Thomas Moore (or Public Works Director Andrew Hayman) to execute related documents.

On federal housing and health matters, the council authorized submission of an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Lehigh (transcript: “Lehi”) Hazard Reduction Grant to assess and remediate lead hazards in homes in an amount not to exceed $4,400,000 with a 10% local match requirement. The resolution names Mayor Stefan Rootes (transcript uses \"Root/Roots/Ruth\" inconsistently; recorded as \"Mayor Rootes/Mayor Ruth\" in roll calls) or his designee to execute the application.

Votes at a glance: all items listed below were approved by roll call votes recorded as “Yes” by Councilors Gibson Williams, Green, West, Davis and Mayor (recorded in the minutes as Mayor Ruth/Root/Rootes). Each vote was recorded as unanimous (5–0 where five members voted).

- Handicap parking zones: Resolution creating handicap parking designations for nine addresses in Chester (listed in resolution text). Passed unanimously.
- ARPA facade amendment (LSNCMNE, LLC): Amendment withdrawing 531–533 Avenue of the States and reducing the contract price by $95,060.80 (new contract $142,885.39). Passed unanimously. Resolution referenced previous action 76‑2025.
- Norris Street Trail grant acceptance: Acceptance of $1,300,000 Transportation Alternatives set‑aside and authorization to execute a reimbursement grant agreement with PennDOT. Passed unanimously.
- Conrail agreement: Authorization to enter into agreement with Consolidated Rail Corporation to allow construction that crosses Conrail freight line for the Norris Street multi‑use trail. Passed unanimously.
- HUD Lehigh/Lehi Hazard Reduction Grant authorization: Authorization to submit a HUD application up to $4,400,000 with 10% match and to have the mayor or designee execute documents. Passed unanimously.
- SilverCare Senior Housing: Preliminary and/or final approval for master land development plan for assisted living facility at 2500 West Ninth Street. Passed unanimously.
- Liberty Housing Development Corporation: Preliminary and/or final approval for subdivision and land development plan for mixed‑use development at 1100–1130 Morton Avenue; developer told council the project still needs final funding and expects to break ground within about a year. Passed unanimously.
- 742 West Front Street LLC: Preliminary and/or final approval for mixed‑use project at 742 West Front Street (about 57,000 sq ft warehouse, office, training center and loading docks). Passed unanimously. Councilors discussed fencing and anticipated safety improvements for adjacent streets.

Why it matters: The package combines downtown façade work, several major development approvals and active transportation investments including a new trail connection that will require crossing a rail line. The HUD application — if funded — would provide an expanded lead‑hazard remediation program for Chester homes at a scale the council said could reach several million dollars and would require a 10% local match.

Councilors asked questions during the presentations about project locations, timing and safety measures for children near redevelopment sites. Planning and zoning director Paul Fritz said Liberty Housing and the 742 West Front project were “fast track” projects anticipating breaking ground within a year pending final approvals and funding. The PennDOT grant item and Conrail agreement were presented by staff who said Thomas Moore or Andrew Hayman would sign documents for the city.

What’s next: The HUD application will be submitted by the mayor or his designee; awards and specific terms would determine the schedule for home assessments and remediation work. Several developers said they expect to begin construction within about a year if financing is finalized; the city authorized staff to execute grant and railroad crossing documents as required.

Sources: City staff presentations and council roll calls during the Council meeting.","City council approved a set of resolutions including land‑development approvals for SilverCare, Liberty Housing and 742 West Front, amendments to an ARPA facade contract, acceptance of a $1.3 million PennDOT transportation-alternatives grant and authorization to apply for up to $4.4 million in HUD lead‑remediation funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6503319,"Chester youth present summer heritage trip to council after weeklong PLA program",584,3117000,3701000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5575111-c2d63c8d113db1280908d399401c03e0&start=3117&end=3701","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5575111-c2d63c8d113db1280908d399401c03e0/thumbnail_3117000.jpg","/articles/6503319/Chester/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Chester-youth-present-summer-heritage-trip-to-council-after-weeklong-PLA-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6503319-9776ff8100146e9c9273b736405eb91e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770570051&Signature=mjhdqhcXRgPnVeiDZjm9l4Uu~jv0XkUAWM57UvJ9k~Ht5exzSH3L6jXqBJOo-lDCAB3wIqMcCNyuUiHQectKpMoQQaz8dVabV79S49pVR0i88OdeEuNWMUPp4beIwYDRMl2e1R63xKIdUvVJhSXuAt6mbBRnyIxnq6sMeS5UP2T-4QcHVitY52uWmdnkopd80EVbaM5z-aa2HYJNNd~t-Udj2SOD1YhPV4gB22QD28U4OU2sqNGxFVdR9E5dyuMIorDJokf51umHRqO~-LsCo0Gb0PzKyd4BLuFBpSQKYvedaLyTbLWBrwQNI81TTybLFHLKEQ8LzhnKJVwiA6f87w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ten Chester youths who attended a PLA Summer Adventures trip presented art and short remarks to City Council, describing a multi‑state program that included visits to the Penn Center, the Harriet Tubman Museum and sites in Savannah and Philadelphia.

Victor Cabral, vision/actualization and community connection specialist at nonprofit 4 Circles Beyond, said the organization led the youth program and urged continued community support. Youth speakers summarized what they learned: understanding local and national Black history, connections to ancestors at the Penn Center, and civic lessons drawn from visits to the MOVE bombing memorial in Philadelphia and the Tubman Museum. \"After my visit to the Harriet Tubman Museum, I was inspired to write this letter to Harriet,\" 16‑year‑old Kayla said in a prepared reading.

Organizers showed a collage and artwork created by participants and said they would leave the pieces in City Hall for viewing. Parents and council members praised the program: one parent said her child returned \"more mature than 13 years of school could ever do,\" and council members thanked the youth and encouraged broader participation in similar programs.

4 Circles Beyond said the summer trip targeted youth ages 13–16; staff said future programming will expand to other age groups and that donations may be made at 4circlesbeyond.org. Cabral said the nonprofit plans additional year‑round activities and is already discussing next year’s trip.

Why it matters: Council members and parents framed the program as a civic and cultural education that provides young people travel and hands‑on historical learning the speakers said were not available through regular school curricula. City officials agreed to post the art and to help publicize future needs for funding and volunteers.

Attribution: Remarks by Victor Cabral and youth are taken from the group’s presentation to council and the public‑comment record.","A group of Chester teens who attended a PLA Summer Adventures trip described visits to the Penn Center, Harriet Tubman Museum and other historical sites and displayed artwork; 4 Circles Beyond sought donations and said future programming will include broader age ranges.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

New EMS provider reports 90‑day operations in Chester, seeks municipal support to sustain advanced services

Chester council approves multiple development, trail and grant actions; HUD lead-remediation application authorized

Chester youth present summer heritage trip to council after weeklong PLA program